The Navy Midshipmen announced this week that former football players Parish Gaines and Jude Akpunku had been named 2024 Tillman Scholars by the Pat Tillman Foundation. The award presents to winners funding for "academic expenses, including tuition, books and living expenses."
The Pat Tillman Foundation, named for the former Arizona State and NFL linebacker who left football to serve in the military, "identifies remarkable military service members, veterans and spouses, empowering them with academic scholarships, lifelong leadership development opportunities and a diverse, global community of high-performing mentors and peers."
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Gaines earned a B.S. in Political Science from Navy in 2015. He was Navy's team team captain for the 2014 football season. Gaines finished his college career with 177 tackles and eight intereptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. He made 46 consecutive starts throughout his career. Gaines is currently a high school football coach in Tennessee and pursuing an MBA at Vanderbilt.
Akpunku, currently enrolled in Syracuse's law school and working as a Congressional Fellow, had ten tackles in his career at Navy that ended after the 2015 season. As a Congressional Fellow, Akpunku has "proven to be a trusted advisor on defense policies, actively contributing to legislative drafting and providing essential guidance on national security matters," per a Navy press release.
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Three other former Navy student-athletes were also named Tillman Scholars this year.
JOE LONDERGAN
Joe covers college sports from the Group of Five ranks and beyond. He has worked in the sports industry since 2008, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville, and a Master's degree from Seattle University.
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